SunRail

[prahaboheme]

What are you skeptical about? SunRail Station construction is merely minor in comparison to track alignment.

[Jernigan]

There is a flexbus project to serve Altamonte, Maitland, Casselberry and Longwood. Also, I'm sure you'll see private shuttle companies either in business for themselves or hired by groups of employers at suburban office parks.

No plans for a spur to Daytona - they've mentioned theyd like one at every opportunity and I guess it could happen down the road.

[IAmFloridaBorn]

What are you skeptical about? SunRail Station construction is merely minor in comparison to track alignment.

Skeptical about the start of this commuter rail actually opening in 2014. South of the Amtrak Station is not double tracked. Not one of the Orlando Stations or Winter Park stations have started work. I mean have you seen some of the Stations and their renderings? Maybe the renderings were scaled above what will really be built, but based on everything and progression so far I doubt this thing even opens on time!!

There is a flexbus project to serve Altamonte, Maitland, Casselberry and Longwood. Also, I'm sure you'll see private shuttle companies either in business for themselves or hired by groups of employers at suburban office parks.

No plans for a spur to Daytona - they've mentioned theyd like one at every opportunity and I guess it could happen down the road.

I read in the Daytona news Journal about studies for a spur line to Daytona Beach from Deltona.

http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/east-volusia/2011/12/14/visiting-fdot-chief-hopes-for-sunrail-success.html

http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/west-volusia/2012/04/26/work-begins-on-sunrail-station-in-debary.html

^^ These two Articles mention soemthing about a future SunRail extension to Daytona Beach. The Volusia County Planning Board will study it, but FDOT intially wanted to do this and has already breifly started looking into this. Volusia will be on the hook for 800,00 in SunRail pay up, so adding Daytona Beach is a very realistic option as more people will use the train.

[Ocityst]

ORLANDO (June 20, 2012) – Orlando International Airport (MCO) may soon be connected to Miami by rail. In discussions held at the June meeting of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, the Board was asked to consider a request by Florida East Coast Industries (FECI) to develop the first passenger rail service from MCO to Miami by 2015.

http://www.allaboardflorida.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/OIA-Moves-Closer-to-Becoming-Intermodal-Gateway.pdf

[prahaboheme]

Sanford SunRail platform well under construction:

[prahaboheme]

No one else is excited about this?

[Jernigan]

lol...show me the TOD and I'll dance for ya

[John Hargrove]

I'll probably get more excited when I start seeing the changes downtown. Seeing an actual platform is pretty awesome, though.

[smileguy]

It looks like there was some site work going on at LCS yesterday early afternoon, and WMFE is reporting that a shipment of rail will arrive early next week.

http://www.wmfe.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=13105&news_iv_ctrl=1041

[prahaboheme]

MetroPlan pursues $104M SunRail-airport connector option

http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/print-edition/2012/08/03/metroplan-pursues-104m.html

[alex]

Not sure if someone already posted this article, but here is Transportation Nation's take on SunRail:

Will SunRail Change Central Florida’s Driving Habits?

Mostly information we already knew, but it's interesting that Ustler's project by Florida Hospital should "break ground next month... Ustler is counting on residents for a 250 apartment, $38 million complex he’s building a few blocks from the hospital."

I guess they're talking about this one, originally planned for 2011?

[aent]

The Orange Blossom Express spur off of SunRail sounds like its going to have the first step towards making that a reality.... The $18.4 million dollar railway improvement project will improve the design speed up to about 65mph and upgrade the track to increase freight capacity along with making commuter rail a possibility, which is a precursor to putting commuter rail trains on that route, should hopefully begin construction first quarter of next year.

[Jernigan]

Will they be double tracking? Would that be necessary as it is for SunRail?

[aent]

Will they be double tracking? Would that be necessary as it is for SunRail?

Can't say I've heard that mentioned, just upgrading the track to handle higher those speeds and upgrading signal crossings throughout the route, etc... the proposed route is 36 miles compared to SunRail's 61 miles and most likely will be (at least initially) operating less frequently then SunRail... they also just selected a group to do the required study for the OBE. I'm also wondering whether the estimated $55 million to build the OBE included this $18 million track improvements and they're only expecting to need another $37 million for the trains and tracks or if it was $55 million plus this $18 million they're putting in now...

Edited September 6, 2012 by aent

[alex]

This article talks about the project. I don't see anything about double-tracking, but it mentions that OBE could start construction in 2013.

[sunshine]

Is that a map of this OBE track?

[Jernigan]

I didn't see a map in the link - but if you look on google maps for the rail line that goes from Lake County through Apopka into Orlando - it's that track....already in existence.

[spenser1058]

Some info on the Orange Blossom Cannonball as it prepares to resume service for the winter tourist season. Although this is a tourist train and not a commuter, I have to think it bodes well for getting Lake County folks (bless their predominantly Republican hearts!) to think positively about rail.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-09-08/news/os-lk-locomotive-herbie-20120908_1_herbie-steam-engine-orange-blossom-cannonball

http://therailroadnation.com/florida-steam-train-rides-set-to-begin-service/

[spenser1058]

Orlando Realtors, agents to go on 'pretend' SunRail

This has the potential to be huge. Of all the organizations wedded to the status quo in Florida and the concept of sprawl as our region has developed since WWII, the Realtors are at the front of the pack. If there is a move afoot to change that paradigm (thanks, Poppy Bush!), and especially if they see a way to profit from it, then we are witnessing a major shift. The folks involved with SunRail have done several of these "changing the attitudes" activities and they are to be commended. We hear a lot about Orlando" as a "world-class" city; in my experience, it is what sets us apart from other regions (Tampa Bay comes to mind) and why I think we have the potential to eventually be successful.

[spenser1058]

Buses on demand? Four area cities working on pioneering bus service

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-09-13/news/os-flex-bus-lynx-central-florida-20120913_1_bus-system-lynx-flexbus

Glad to see Lynx thinking out of the box about ways to get passengers from their homes to SunRail. John Lewis is proving to be one of the best local hires in a long time.

[spenser1058]

SunRail route apartments coming in 2013

This just confirms stuff we already knew, but it strengthens the buy-in from the business/development/Realtor communities and says they are drinking the Kool-Aid of density. When folks poo-poo the idea that Orlando is ready to focus on transit, you may take them under your wing, as Pangloss did Candide and show them we are indeed overlooking the best of all possible urban worlds at long last.

SunRail of course, is just the start, hopefully followed by OBE. If these folks solve the problem of getting folks to the rail by building alongside, it only strengthens the case for light rail to follow with more frequent schedules and the virtuous cycle continues.

http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/print-edition/2012/09/14/sunrail-route-apartments-coming-in-2013.html

[prahaboheme]

spencer, I don't have full access to the article. Can you paraphrase -- what are the projects in Lake Mary and Longwood? I assume the downtown Orlando project refers to Central Station at Lynx terminal and hospital apartments at Florida Hospital station.

[FLClarkKent]

SunRail route apartments coming in 2013

This just confirms stuff we already knew, but it strengthens the buy-in from the business/development/Realtor communities and says they are drinking the Kool-Aid of density. When folks poo-poo the idea that Orlando is ready to focus on transit, you may take them under your wing, as Pangloss did Candide and show them we are indeed overlooking the best of all possible urban worlds at long last.

SunRail of course, is just the start, hopefully followed by OBE. If these folks solve the problem of getting folks to the rail by building alongside, it only strengthens the case for light rail to follow with more frequent schedules and the virtuous cycle continues.

http://www.bizjourna...ng-in-2013.html

Could light rail eventually run along the same tracks as SunRail?

[spenser1058]

spencer, I don't have full access to the article. Can you paraphrase -- what are the projects in Lake Mary and Longwood? I assume the downtown Orlando project refers to Central Station at Lynx terminal and hospital apartments at Florida Hospital station.

I don't either, but I saw something about the Lake Mary/Longwood apartments elsewhere. I'll try to see if i can find a link.

[spenser1058]

This may be what I remembered from klstorey's blog:

http://orlandonarrative.blogspot.com/2012/02/transit-time-sunrail-northern-section.html